Editor’s Note: This is a developing story.
The Novokuibyshevsk refinery in Russia’s Samara Oblast was hit by drones in an overnight attack, the Russian Telegram news channel Astra reported on Aug. 28, citing local reports and footage.
The Novokuibyshevsk facility, lying some 900 kilometers (560 miles) from the Ukraine-Russia border, has a production capacity of 8.3 million metric tons of oil per year. The refinery reportedly halted production in early August after being damaged by Ukrainian drone strikes.
Astra posted photographs and video footage of a large-scale fire on the premises of the Novokuibyshevsk refinery. The images show explosions, billowing smoke, and massive flames rising from the site.
Russian authorities have not yet commented on the alleged attack.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the reports at the time of publication.
0:00/1×Video footage allegedly showing the aftermath of a drone attack on the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery, a Rosneft facility in Russia’s Samara Oblast, on Aug. 27, 2025. (Astra)
The Novokuibyshevsk refinery is run by the Russian oil company Rosneft. It was one of several Russian refineries that reportedly halted production in August 2025 after sustaining damage from Ukrainian drone strikes.
Sources told Reuters that the Novokuibyshevsk facility ceased operations completely after drones damaged its main primary oil refining unit.
The report came after Ukrainian drones allegedly targeted multiple industrial and military facilities across Russia overnight on Aug. 2, including the Novokuibyshevsk refinery.
Reuters later reported that Ukraine struck 10 refineries throughout August, shutting down facilities representing 17% of national processing capacity, or 1.1 million barrels per day.
The state-owned enterprise Rosneft is Russia’s leading oil processing company and has been under international sanctions since 2014. Ukraine regularly targets Russian oil infrastructure in longe-range strikes, though Kyiv does not always comment on these attacks.
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